Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport

History

Prior to construction of the Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), each city had separate airports and competed for airline service. In the mid-1950s, Roger Milliken, a textile heir, industrialist, businessman (CEO of Milliken & Company), and political activist, as well as other Upstate business leaders, worked to get a shared commercial airport for both cities. In 1958, a proposal for an airport between the two cities was presented to the legislative delegation for the two counties, which approved the construction and the creation of an airport commission, headed by Milliken.

GSP opened on October 15, 1962, replacing Greenville Downtown Airport as the primary airline destination in the region. In the 1980s, GSP expanded its terminal and cargo facilities, and the runway was lengthened twice during the 1990s. In 2004 the airfield was named for Milliken.

Having been served by legacy carriers, with large hubs in nearby Atlanta and Charlotte, GSP had historically been plagued with high fares. The arrival of low-cost carriers in recent years has reduced fares and increased passenger figures. Allegiant Air began flights to Florida in 2006, and in 2011 Southwest Airlines began service to five cities.

Local officials attribute Southwest's presence to an unprecedented 38 percent growth in passenger figures between 2010 and 2011. In 2011 GSP received an ANNIE Award from Airline and Airport News & Analysis for being the fastest-growing small airport in the United States. In 2012 the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Travel Statistics reported that average fares from GSP decreased by 14 percent; the largest decrease in the country.

Facilities

The airport covers 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) and has one runway, 4/22, 11,001 x 150 ft (3,353 x 46 m) asphalt/concrete.

The airport has one terminal building with two concourses: Concourse A (gates A1–A9), and Concourse B (gates B1–B4). The check-in level is the same for all passengers. In 2012 the airport embarked on a four-year, $102 million terminal improvement program which would modernize the terminal and improve passenger flow, as well as prepare for future expansion. Future planning includes several options, i.e., the expansion of the terminal by 300 percent of its current capacity and the possibility of the addition of second runway, parallel to the existing one.

Concourse B is used exclusively by Delta Air Lines and Delta Connection. All other airlines use Concourse A.

The airport can handle up to 250 passengers per hour through immigration and customs checkpoints.

FedEx operates a major package facility on the north end of the airport, and BMW has a facility which supports easy transfer of arriving parts to the company's manufacturing facility, three miles to the east.

Airlines and destinations

GSP is serviced by five passenger airlines and their regional affiliates. All service is domestic, though there have been suggestions that international flights could be added. The Federal Aviation Administration classifies Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport as a Commercial Service, Primary, Small Hub Airport.

In July 2016, GSP airport and Senator International of Germany announced that a regularly scheduled twice weekly freight service would begin in November between Greenville/Spartanburg and Munich, Germany. The freight service would be the first scheduled international route for the airport. Senator International began the international freight service to Germany in November, operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic with a Boeing 747-400F aircraft, to both Munich and Frankfurt-Hahn.